How much water to add to my mix for cooking?

Before anyone says it...yes i have been following the instructions for super soil. BUT, instead of a trash can, i'm using a wide storage bin. I'm only making a 1/4 recipe, but I've already added about 3 gallons of water (enough for a full recipe) and my soil doesnt seem wet enough?

How can I tell if I have anough water in the soil for cooking? My soil is damp, but if I grab some and squeeze no water drips out

i water til my soil is wet but not dripping wet and then set it aside for awhile and let it rest.

well, i've been reading that after a few days the soil should have white stuff on top which is good...the cooking... but i don't have any yet which made me think it's not wet enough?

btw...should the soil smell like poop? i'm assuming so, since the ingredients?... just making sure